Pakistani batter Babar Azam has replaced India’s batter Shubman Gill as the No.1 batter in the ODI format.
Babar Azam stands at the top of the rankings with 824 points while Shubman Gill has dropped to second position with 810 points. Indian player Virat Kohli stands at third spot with 775 points.
Usman Khawaja, the opening batsman, has climbed three places to fourth in the Test batting rankings with a rating of 808 points. He is now ahead of Babar Azam and is nearing the top-ranked player, Kane Williamson, who has 864 rating points.
Additionally, Usman’s teammates David Warner and Mitchell Marsh have also made progress in the rankings. Warner has moved up nine spots to 27th place, while Marsh has improved by 12 places to share the 68th position. These advancements come after their impressive performances against Pakistan.
After a below-average performance in the first Test against Australia, which Pakistan lost by 360 runs, Babar Azam has slipped from the fourth to the fifth position in the rankings with a total of 801 rating points. Babar’s batting contributions in the Perth Test were limited, as he scored 21 runs in the first innings and 14 runs in the second innings.
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Soon after the ICC ODI Men’s World Cup 2023, Babar Azam resigned from captaincy. Azam, shared the news, stating, “It’s a difficult decision, but I feel it is the right time for this call. I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) swiftly appointed Shan Masood as the new test captain, entrusting him with the responsibility through the World Test Championship cycle of 2023-25. Masood’s first major assignment will be leading Pakistan on its tour to Australia next month, featuring three test matches.
Despite his successful stint as captain, which saw Pakistan rise to No. 1 in the ODI rankings, Azam faced criticism, especially following the team’s recent World Cup performance. The PCB had offered the option to continue as the test captain to alleviate the burden, but Babar Azam declined.